pressbrake said:

Hello , im making a run of reciever hitches and I need access to a td5 in 90 and 110 flavours to make a jig for the tie bars. Anyone in essex can spare the time for a free one?

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pressbrake said:

Not seen any drop plates or reciever hitches type approved, only the actual tow balls or jaws.
All I can say is they are to a proven design,but out of heavier material ,welded by a coded welder and not a production worker and Im fully insured for defects.
They seem to cost a fortune but I was thinking of £100 ish with a tow bar drop plate and a slot in recovery eye for when offroad, but no fancy powdercoat

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Any light passenger vehicle registered in the UK on or after August 1st 1998 ('S' Registration) will require a type approved towbar and towball (when fitted).
Light Commercial Vehicles and Car Derived Vans are not covered by Type Approval. (LCVs continue to be exempt and are unlikely to be covered for the next 5 years or so).
This legislation will not be retrospective, therefore any vehicle registered before August 1st 1998 will never require a type approved towbar (e.g. 'R' registered vehicles will never require type approved towbars).
Any vehicle requiring an approved towbar also requires an appropriately approved towball. Towball 'D' and 'S' values must match or exceed the towbar 'D' and 'S' values.

Type Approved towbars and towballs can be identified by the presence of a Type Approval label which must be visible even when the product is fitted to the vehicle. This label will have as a very minimum, the product code, a 'D' value, an 'S' value and a European approval number in the form e11 00-01234. These labels must not be removed or defaced as this will invalidate the towbar manufacturer's warranty and would result in the towbar or towball not being identified as Type Approved.


The above text is the 'Translation' for the full information on Type Approval EC/94/20 including the legal definition visit PCT Automotive's website and click on the Law button
Also: Drop plates must never be used to raise the height of the towball, this is dangerous and illegal. They can also NOT be used legally to lower the ball on a post 1998 vehicle unless the towbar has been type tested with it fitted.

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pressbrake said:

Thanks very interesting so defenders are light commercials so no type approval is required even after 1998 unless its a csw.
Bit of luck as Im making a batch of 20 so type approval is out of the question. Think Ill go down the trailler place and look at their drop plates for any stickers with regard to this

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ratty said:

not nessy-celery. It depends on what the defender is registered as. You may need to check to see if 'utility' is classed as light commercial as that's what most defenders are shown as on their V5. I don't know how easy it is to get type approval but it might be just a stright forward test that could make things more black and white for you.

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Fur Trapper said:

Are USA type that are dot approved allowed?

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pressbrake said:

Ive done the load calcs, and the landrover chassis will fail first.
My light goods vehicle was based on the lez zone, County station wagons are cars everything else is commercial.
After I have made a prototype I would need a landy for about an hour to make the tie bars and a jig for them.Thanks for the offer , I cant remember what a nas step looks like at the mo.

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pressbrake said:

Ive done the load calcs, and the landrover chassis will fail first.
My light goods vehicle was based on the lez zone, County station wagons are cars everything else is commercial.
After I have made a prototype I would need a landy for about an hour to make the tie bars and a jig for them.Thanks for the offer , I cant remember what a nas step looks like at the mo.

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